Thousands of student veterans who have not yet received tuition, housing and book payments under the Post-9/11 GI Bill may apply online for emergency aid beginning Friday, the Department of Veterans Affairs said Wednesday.

The agency announced last week that students struggling to pay their bills could receive a maximum $3,000 advance on earned educational benefits, but said that veterans could claim the aid only by going in person to one of 57 regional offices. Officials decided to offer the online option because many veterans would have had to travel a considerable distance to get to an office -- including one student at Northern Michigan University whose round trip to the nearest office in Ann Arbor would have taken 15 hours, said Student Veterans of America Executive Director Derek Blumke.

Students may apply online by going to http://www.va.gov. Applicants would receive their checks in the mail.

Veterans without their own transportation who wish to visit a regional office may request free van service by calling their nearest VA medical center.

As of last week, less than 10 percent of the 251,000 veterans who had applied for the benefit had actually received checks, forcing thousands to live off of savings, take out personal loans or run up credit card bills, according to veterans and groups that advocate on their behalf.

----------

MilitaryConnection.com, a portal of all things military, has become the "go to" site for resources, news and information that is of importance to the military audience. We have thousands of pages and hundreds of databases to keep you current on the information you need to have. With something for everyone, we take pride in providing all of our resources free to users. Additionally, we feature all types of veteran articles like this one to keep you informed. We will post your press releases, special events, newsletters, professional conferences and seminars, reunions, job fairs, and videos to help organizations get out the word. One of the areas of our focus is connecting candidates from the military community with outstanding government and civilian employers. We are well aware that candidates from the military community across the board have a work ethic second to none. They make highly valued employees. MilitaryConnection.com has a multitude of employment resources including a Directory of over 30,000 employers, Job Tips, Columns, Virtual Job Fair and our new and improved Job Board, featuring our Virtual Marketplace where you can post free ads for items you want to buy, sell or rent , and much more. We understand the importance of education. Please check out our new Scholarship Directory featuring thousands of scholarships. When the next tour is back home, it's on MilitaryConnection.com.

ACCESS PREMIUM INFORMATION& RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER!

Sign Up & Receive Access to:

Thousands of jobs, the Scholarship Directory and Top corporations. You will also receive our bi-weekly Newsletters featuring Jobs, Schools, Public Service Announcements and Special discounts for you.

As one of the nation’s leading pediatric healthcare systems, Nemours is committed to providing all children with their best chance to grow up healthy. Nemours offers integrated, family-centered care to more than 280,000 children each year in their pediatric hospitals, specialty clinics and primary care practices in Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

To learn more about Nemours and view current opportunities, click here.

Armed Forces Vacation Club is proud to offer access to affordable 7-night resort vacation stays in destinations around the world to military members. Join today – membership is free!
AFVC is open to active duty, guard, reserve, and retired members of the Armed Forces as well as civilian employees of the DOD. Forget cramped quarters. Spread out in family-sized resort accommodations, many of which include a living room, kitchen and more!

Resources

Schools

Not every school fits every person, so it is imperative that you find one that meets your needs. We are pleased to offer multiple resources that will assist you in making an informed decision regarding your educational needs.

Finance/Real Estate Benefits

Active Military, Guard, Reservists & Veterans are among our nations heroes. Your military service entitles you to benefits & rewards from organizations who want to provide extraordinary savings to heroes to express gratitude for your service and sacrifice.

Jobs

Employers throughout the country and around the world value your military service for reasons you already know- those who serve learn quickly, know technology, understand teamwork, and have a work ethic second to none. We are the liaison between employers and world-class job seekers.